


Sleep

by NahaFlowers



Category: The Hour
Genre: Bel is a lightweight, F/M, Fluff, Gen, alcohol mention, falling asleep together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-29
Updated: 2016-05-29
Packaged: 2018-07-11 00:12:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7014394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NahaFlowers/pseuds/NahaFlowers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a long day and a drunken night together, Bel and Freddie fall asleep together on Bel's sofa</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sleep

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written for williamholmes on Tumblr.

It had been a long day at the office and an even longer night spent drinking, first in the BBC bar and then, when that closed, in a smokey little pub. Bel eventually insisted that she had to go home, and Freddie insisted on walking her. Bel didn’t really try and protest too much. 

The cold night air provided only the briefest shock to the system as she staggered along, leaning against Freddie, into his warmth. (How could such a small thin body radiate so much heat? It seemed the most pleasing of mysteries to Bel.) She was half asleep on her feet, but she nevertheless invited Freddie in for a nightcap, grasping his hand so he had little choice but to agree (not that he minded). Bel instructed Freddie to sit while she got the drinks, so he slumped down on the sofa while Bel rummaged around for something drinkable and some glasses, knocking God-knows-what over in the process. Finally, she slammed a bottle and two glasses down on her small coffee table, throwing herself onto the sofa next to Freddie, who was looking rather sleepy himself, head leant against the sofa back and looking up at Bel through half-lidded eyes.

“Hello Moneypenny,” he said absently.  
Bel smiled. “Shall we have that nightcap then?”

Freddie nodded, then immediately let out a huge, roaring yawn which set Bel to giggling. Freddie narrowed his eyes, pretending to be annoyed but not really.

“Come on then, are you going to pour the drinks or shall I?”  
Bel had just about got her giggling under control but now she burst out laughing again. “You should pour them, James. Shaken but not stirred, remember?”  
“️I don’t think that applies to…” He squinted at the label on the bottle, “Ouzo. Jesus, Moneypenny, where do you get this stuff?” He poured them a measure each, then looked down to see Bel still giggling in a heap on the sofa. “I think you’ve drunk enough, Moneypenny.”

Bel stopped giggling at that and grabbed the glass from his hand, pouting at him. He sighed and sat down again as she heaved herself into a more upright position.

“What should we drink to?” he asked.  
“Journalism!” yelled Bel. “And freedom of speech! And-”  
“The truth!” said Freddie, getting swept up in Bel’s drunken enthusiasm. “In all its forms!”

Bel nodded seriously. Then they looked at each other as they downed their glasses. It was a quiet, content moment, the kind of drunken understanding that could only happen between best friends. It was broken when Bel started giggling again, this time falling into Freddie’s lap with her exertion. 

“What is it this time?” he asked, fond exasperation in his tone. But Bel didn’t reply, and he looked down to see that Bel had fallen asleep, just like that, and was now snoring slightly into his lap. How easily she fell asleep. How jealous he was of that. He sighed. He should get up, make Bel get into bed, go home. But he couldn’t quite bear to wake her, and it was rather pleasant just sitting there with her head in his lap, like his own personal hot water bottle. So he stayed, and much sooner than he had expected, he drifted off to sleep as well.


End file.
